Commutator



F. AND J. B. LEDERER.

COMMUTATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1917.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

UNITED STATES earlier erica;

Assenons 'ro NECEDAH coNsIN.

MANUFACT'' PJNG COMJPANY, A CORPORATION OF WIQ Application le May il,

To all eolie/ra it may concern.'

e it known that We, Fmnnnren lannnrnn and JOSEPH BERNARD Lnnnnnn, 'citizens of the United States,` and resi/dents of Milb Waulree, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented-n vv and useful improvements in Coxnmutators., et which 'the following is a description,'reterence being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification. rfhisinvention relates to improvenrents in commutatorsy 'for internal combustion cngines. K

lIn the ordinary commutator or timer VSor engines with a plurality oir' cylinders the. fixed contacts are usually mounted cireun. 'erentially in spaced relation in a liber busi ing `positioned Within the eonirnutator cas- :ing and the inner surfaces of 'the liber and the, contacts are turned flush to provide for the travel of the spring pressed roller ot the revoluble brush Contact extending` into the casing and coacting with the iixcl contacts. n use the arcingr ot the contacts causes, pit 25 ting and the liber becomes worn and the regular sequence of the electrical impulses to the engine Will be interfered with unless the easing is removed and the lixed contacts and the insulating); fiber ring are vturned 80 smooth and flush with respect to each other. This repair Work requires time and careful work and the use ot the engine is prevented until the timer is replaced. ln removing' the commutator casing it is oi course necessary to disconnect all of the elect-ric circuit wires from the casing.

It is one of the objects ot the present invention to overcome the before mentioned objectionable features and provide a com 40 mutator in which the relatively fixed coutacts are removably mounted within the casing and may be easily removed and replaced in a moment of time without the use ol' tools of' any `rind and without the necessity ol' doing any machine or other work on the, casing or of disconnecting the electric circuitr Wires.

A. further object ol" the invention is lo provide a commutator in which the maior portions of the parts may be formed oll sheet metal.

A further object or' the invention is to provide. a commutator lm vin'yfmcans whicli interior oi' .the caspermits the oilingg,r oll the lipeeicatie'a of Letters 'Eatent ier?. Serial No. ieaeez.

ingr without removing support..

A further object of provide a commutator construction, is strongf and durable' and is well adapted *for the purpose desired.

lilith 'the above and other objects in View the invention consists in the improved commutator and its parts and combinations as `set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereo'. y

1 ln the acoomranyinp; drawing in which tue same reterence eters indicate the same parts in all or' views:

w Figure i is a transverse sectional View of tte improved commutator taken on lineqi-- oi Fig. 2, parts broken axvav, one or the contact members shown as bent 'for removal.;

Fig'. is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 of Fig. i;

Fig, 3 is a sectional detail vieu7 taken on line 3-3 oi l.;

Fig. e is a detail view ci the oil device Ythe casing; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view o: the fixed contact holding; member. A

Referring to vthe drawingv the numeral S indicates a support which may form' part of the commutator or in the Ford engine may be part ot the engine easing. bis shown -the support is provided with an annular recess El to receive 'the inner edge of the commutator 'asino' l() mounted thereon. The body portion ll oiI the casing' is of annular 'liorin and is closed on its outer side. by the conical end portion 1Q having an axial recess 13 'lor receiving` the rounded end portion 14; of the case springY 'l5 which holds the casing yieldingly in the annular recess ot' the support. bolt i6 or other means connects the opposite end oi the spring l5 to the support. Fixed contact holdersl l? mounted within the annular portion ot' the casing and spaced eduidistanlly apart circumieren'tially are insulated from each other n by a strip of liber i8 and fiber washers i9 and 20. The body portions 2l of the contact holders" are formed of sheet metal bent into U-.shape transversely ottlieir length'to l'orm `aide port-ions 22 and spacedlocking side carsl. The side portions Z2 have pairs of contact holder fingers 24; bent at right/angles therefrom and toward the space 93' andtcrminate between said lockin;r ears.

the invention is to the casing; from its which is ot siniple and 'troni the casing The body portions 22 are provided with threaded stems 25 which extend radially through openings 26 in the casing and through the insulating strip of fiber 18 and the fiber washers 19 and 20 before mentioned and on their outer end portions are provided with nuts 27 and 28. The nuts 2T bear against the washers 2() which are larger than the openings 26 and thus clamp the.

contact holders in position, while the nuts 25 serve to connect circuit wires 29 to the stems and form electrical connections therewith. The strip of fiber is provided with inwardly projecting portions 1S which extend into registering openings 30 of the contact members to positively hold said contact members in circumferentially alined positions.

Contact members BO removably mounted on the fixed holders 17 are formed of strips of spring metal bent tov form fiat body or Contact portions. 3l, yielding. curvedl or folded over end portions 32 and inturned eyed ends 33 through which the contact holder fingers 24 extend. The yielding end portions 32 are normally interj )o'sed between the side portions 22 and the side locking ears 23 and are securely and yieldingly held in position thereby when the eyed ends 33 surround the holder fingers 24. In order to remove or replace any one of the contacts it is only necessary to bend the curved end portions of the member toward each other and inwardly in the manner shown at the lower right hand portion of Fig. lto clear the locking ears and the said member may thenbe easily slipped off or on the holder fingers.

The contact portions il are engaged by the roller contact 34 which 1s carried by the roller arm mounted on the shaft 256. The roller arm bears against a collar 3T formed on the shaft 36 and is held in position on the shaft by a transverse pin 38 and a nntf) and a fianged collar 4f) which overlaps the hub portion 4l of the roller arm. 'The roller arm is of sufficient length to cause the roller to firmly engage theryielding contact members and form an electrical contact therewith.

ln order to conveniently lubricate the working parts of the commutator an oilv hole 42 is provided in the upper portion of the casing which is provided with a `revoluble semi-circular shaped cover 43 having an outwardly extending handle portion 44 for convenience in turning the same. The cover is revolubly held on the casing by a plate -1-5 having an embossed portion 46 for receiving the cover and an opening 47 through which the handle 44 projects. The plate is pro* vided with a radially extending portion 4S to form a handle lfor adj ustmg the casing 5.o advance or retard the spark with relation. to

the engine of which the commutator forms a part.

The oil opening of the casing is of semitherefrom'without removing any of the parts of the holder, and a revoluble contact arm extending into the casing and engaging the contact member. i

2. A connnutator, comprising a casing, a fixed Contact holder mounted therein, a yielding contact member having end portions extending toward each other and slidably detachably connected to the contact e holder and removable therefrmn without removing any of the parts of the holder, and a revoluble contact arm extending into the casing and engaging the contact member at each revolution. l

3. A conmlutator, comprising a casing, a fixed contact holder mounted therein, a

. yielding contact member having eyed conncctions extending toward each other which are dctachably connected to the fixed contact holder and detachable therefrom without removing any ofthe parts of the holder, and a contactarm revolubly mounted within thc casing and engaging the contact member.

L A commutator, comprising a casing, a

fixed contact holder -mounted therein and I provided with a projecting finger and locle, l ing ear, a yielding contact member formed of resilient material which is engaged by the vlocking car and having ay folded eyed portion into which extends the projecting finger, said contact member being removable from the lholder without removing any of the parts of the holder, and a contact arm revolubly mounted within the casing and engaging the contact member.

5. A commutator, comprising a casing, a fixed contact holder mounted therein and insulated therefrom, said contact holder on .one side edge having a` Side wall provided with laterally projecting fingers and on the other sidel edge having spaced locking ears, a yielding contact member having vfolded end portions and inner eyed ends into which extend the fingers, the folded end portions extending between the side wall and the locking fingers and detachably held thereby, and a contact arm revolubly mounted extending end portions provided with eyed ends into which extend the fingers, the folded end portions extending between the vside Wall and the locking ears, and a contact arm revolubly mounted within the casing and having a roller which successively engages the Contact members.

7. A commutator,

fixed Contact holder and detachable contact, Comprising a Contact holderhaving a body portion provided with a stem and on one side edge a side Wall with laterally projecting fingers and on the other side edge having spaced side ears out of alinement with the fingers, and a detachable spring metal contact having folded and inwardly extending end portions provided with eyed ends into which extend the iingers, the folded end portions extended between the side wall and the locking ears. 8. A detachable eommutator contact, consisting of a strip of spring metal having its opposite end portions bent inwardly toward each other and formed with adjacent eyes, the metal between the bent portions forming a yielding electrical contact surface of a considerable length.

In testimony whereof, We aliix our signatures.

vernemen', LEDERER. Josisrn BERNARD Leonesa. 

